The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Not many of the NeL guys left in the game now (just three in fact: Campy, Jackie, and Larry Doby), and we lose another one at this point in Monte Irvin - who offers up all the evidence I need to see that my efforts to include these guys in this save was well worth the effort.

Here are Monte's final career stats in this save:




as opposed to IRL:




Pretty sure he'll be a first-ballot HoFer, as he should be.

[luckymann]

AL 1958 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1958 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


Unanimous Wagner-Lajoie wins for Mickey Mantle (his 5th) and Frank Robinson (his first), and for Jim Bunning and Billy O'Dell in the Johnson-Waddell - a first for each. RoYs are Mike McCormick and Orlando Cepeda, while Don Mossi and our own Ryne Duren win the Paige Plates.


S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Another big step up on the rookie front with a cracking pool coming in including 7 Legacies and 1 Marquee.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1959 Season:

St. Louis Cardinals: Bob Gibson (89.2; 482 GS – one-club player) MARQUEE
Chicago Cubs: Billy Williams (63.6; 2213)
Chicago White Sox: Gary Peters (28.7; 216 GS)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Maury Wills (39.6; 1593)
Philadelphia Phillies: Chris Short (28.7; 301 GS)
San Francisco Giants: Willie McCovey (64.5; 2256)
Washington Senators: Jim Kaat (50.5; 433 GS)
Baltimore Orioles: Mike Cuellar (26.9; 283 GS)


Jim Perry (41.6; 249 GS) was also eligible for the Senators, but Kaat’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

Tim McCarver (28.3; 1181) was also eligible for the Cardinals, but Gibson’s higher WAR makes him the selection.


There are 92 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 5 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1958 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. St. Louis Cardinals (468; dice roll)
2. San Francisco Giants (519)
3. Chicago Cubs (468; dice roll)
4. Washington Senators (396)
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (461)
6. Philadelphia Phillies (448)
7. Chicago White Sox (532)
8. Baltimore Orioles (484)
9. Kansas City Athletics (474)
10. Cincinnati Redlegs (494)
11. Detroit Tigers (500)
12. Cleveland Indians (503)
13. Boston Red Sox (513)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (545)
15. Milwaukee Braves (597; dice roll)
16. New York Yankees (597; dice roll)


Rounds 2 thru 5

1. Washington Senators (396)
2. Philadelphia Phillies (448)
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (461)
4. St. Louis Cardinals (468; dice roll)
5. Chicago Cubs (468; dice roll)
6. Kansas City Athletics (474)
7. Baltimore Orioles (484)
8. Cincinnati Redlegs (494)
9. Detroit Tigers (500)
10. Cleveland Indians (503)
11. Boston Red Sox (513)
12. San Francisco Giants (519)
13. Chicago White Sox (532)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (545)
15. Milwaukee Braves (597; dice roll)
16. New York Yankees (597; dice roll)


Both because we feel we’ve got the squad pretty much as we like it and due to our low pick, we go into this Draft with a bunch of options but little control over which of those might come to pass. We are almost certain our first pick will be a pitcher, and would rather take a good arm than an average bat.

With that mindset, we take the following players:

1. C Tim McCarver, 17

• Of course, the best-laid plans rule applies as the clubs ahead of us go pitcher-hunting and we end up with a nice longer-term add for behind the plate. Just 17, so we’ll leave him to hone his catching and broadcasting skills for a few years down at Wilkes-Barre before unleashing him on an unwitting public.

2. P Al Jackson, 22

• Our strategy is almost completely flipped on its head as our 6 preferred pitchers are all gone. Not wanting to go totally without, we nab Al despite him being the sort of pitch-to-contact guy I generally stay well clear of if at all possible.

3. P Marshall Bridges, 27

• A fully-formed LH reliever who we’re amazed hasn’t gone yet and who’ll come straight in for high-lev duties.

4. P Ted Wills, 24

• Sadly he's neither Ted Williams or Maury Wills. All the same, like Larry Sherry at this point last year, we’re hoping to at least see a little bit of Ted at the big club.

5. P Howie Nunn, 23

• MiLB filler

Went in with limited expectations; came out with them having been exceeded – albeit only slightly.


FULL DRAFT LOG

[luckymann]

I am convinced we are going to have our second-straight year of no call, but instead one of our favourite sons makes it in first try.

[luckymann]

We make a rare foray into the FA market, albeit at its shallower end, just looking to bolster our SP ranks should we run into injury problems.




Again, Lew's profile is not one I usually go anywhere near, but for less than 50K for a 1+1, he's a relatively cheap insurance policy. He may even have to bide his time at AAA, we'll think on that some more and make the call when the time comes.

We also pick up C / OF Johnny Blanchard in the Rule 5 Draft. I like how he projects and think we have the scope to hide him away this year as Roseboro's backup, while also giving us another corner OF option if needed. A touch of lightning in his bat according to the scouting reports, especially when he fully matures.

[luckymann]

It doesn’t take long for the Dodgers to settle into their new digs as they edge out the Braves in a playoff for the NL pennant, then see off the White Sox – making their first post-season appearance since the Black Sox 40 years earlier – in the World Series to win their second Championship.

AL CHAMPIONS: Chicago White Sox (94-60)
NL CHAMPIONS: Los Angeles Dodgers (88-68)
WORLD SERIES: Dodgers 4, White Sox 2

Pittsburgh Pirates: 78-76, 4th in NL

AL MVP: Nellie Fox (White Sox)
NL MVP: Ernie Banks (Cubs)

AL CYA: Early Wynn (White Sox)
NL CYA: not given

AL RoY: Bob Allison (Senators)
NL RoY: Willie McCovey (Giants)


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. HANK AARON, MILWAUKEE

• Key Numbers: .355 average, 116 runs, 223 hits, 46 doubles, 7 triples, 39 home runs, 123 RBIs, 17 intentional walks, .636 slugging percentage.
• For Aaron, 400 was the magic number, flirting with .400 through June and ending the year as the last NL player until 1997 to collect over 400 total bases. Interestingly, for a guy who eventually ended up with 755 jacks, he had only one game with three—and that took place in 1959.

2. WILLIE MAYS, SAN FRANCISCO

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 125 runs, 180 hits, 43 doubles, 5 triples, 34 home runs, 104 RBIs, 27 stolen bases.
• Mays led the NL for the fourth straight year in stolen bases; it was the last time he would pace the league.

3. EDDIE MATHEWS, MILWAUKEE

• Key Numbers: .306 average, 118 runs, 182 hits, 16 doubles, 8 triples, 46 home runs, 114 RBIs, 80 walks.
• One side benefit of the Braves’ tiebreaker loss to the Dodgers was that it gave Mathews the major league home run title by one over Ernie Banks.

4. FRANK ROBINSON, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .311 average, 106 runs, 168 hits, 31 doubles, 4 triples, 36 home runs, 125 RBIs, 8 hit-by-pitches, 18 stolen bases.
• Robbie became the first National Leaguer since Johnny Mize (in 1940) to both hit for the cycle and have a three-homer game in the same season.

5. ERNIE BANKS, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 155 games, .304 average, 97 runs, 179 hits, 25 doubles, 6 triples, 45 home runs, 143 RBIs, 20 intentional walks.
• Banks became the first repeat winner for the NL MVP—and once again did it for a sub-.500 Cubs team.

6. VADA PINSON, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .316 average, 648 at-bats, 131 runs, 205 hits, 47 doubles, 9 triples, 20 home runs, 84 RBIs, 21 stolen bases.
• Pinson played a couple games too many the year before to qualify for the 1959 Rookie of the Year award; otherwise, he would have been a shoo-in.

7. ORLANDO CEPEDA, SAN FRANCISCO

• Key Numbers: .317 average, 92 runs, 192 hits, 35 doubles, 27 home runs, 105 RBIs, 100 strikeouts, 23 stolen bases.
• Perhaps inspired by Willie Mays, Cepeda transcended his power abilities by stealing a career-high 23 bags—finishing second in the NL to the aforementioned Mays.

8. KEN BOYER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .309 average, 86 runs, 174 hits, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 28 home runs, 94 RBIs, 12 stolen bases.
• The reliable third baseman furnished the year’s longest hit streak in the majors at 29 games—just four short of the Cardinals’ record.

9. WALLY MOON, LOS ANGELES

• Key Numbers: .302 average, 93 runs, 164 hits, 26 doubles, 11 triples, 19 home runs, 74 RBIs, 81 walks, 15 stolen bases.
• Southland fans were over the moon over Moon, the first-year Dodger who frequently went the opposite way to clear the L.A. Memorial Coliseum’s up-close-and-personal driving range nets behind left field—hitting 14 of his 19 homers at home.

10. JOHNNY TEMPLE, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .311 average, 102 runs, 186 hits, 35 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, 67 RBIs, 72 walks, 13 sacrifice flies, 14 stolen bases.
• Statistical analysis found no weak spots in Temple’s splits: He hit over .300 at home and on the road, during the day and at night, and against both right-handers and southpaws.

AL Hitters

1. AL KALINE, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 136 games, .327 average, 86 runs, 167 hits, 27 home runs, 94 RBIs, 72 walks, 12 intentional walks, 10 stolen bases, .530 slugging percentage.
• In a year when prodigious numbers were in short supply within the AL, Kaline ramped up and put together the best accumulated collection of statistics.

2. JACKIE JENSEN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .277 average, 101 runs, 31 doubles, 28 home runs, 112 RBIs, 88 walks, 12 sacrifice flies, 20 stolen bases.
• Jensen did well to emulate his 1958 MVP figures, but the frequent flier mileage was about to get the most of the aviophobic star.

3. MICKEY MANTLE, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .285 average, 104 runs. 31 home runs, 75 RBIs, 93 walks, 126 strikeouts, 21 stolen bases.
• As his Yankee teammates browned out around him with the weakest overall team offense since 1946, Mantle had the distinction of driving in the fewest runs on 30 or more homers until 1964.

4. HARVEY KUENN, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 136 games, .353 average, 99 runs, 198 hits, 42 doubles, 7 triples, 9 home runs, 71 RBIs.
• Kuenn finished an effective (.314) eight-year tenure at Detroit with his sole batting title; a mini-disastrous trade to Cleveland for Rocky Colavito lay ahead.

5. EDDIE YOST, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .278 average, 115 runs, 21 home runs, 61 RBIs, 135 walks, 12 hit-by-pitches, .435 on-base percentage.
• A walkathon all by himself with his special gift for drawing walks, Yost added a bit of pop with a career-high 21 homers.

6. HARMON KILLEBREW, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .242 average, 98 runs, 42 home runs, 105 RBIs, 90 walks.
• In his breakout season after five years of small-sample results, Killebrew belted a franchise-record 15 home runs in May alone—with 10 of those courtesy of five multi-homer efforts, the most ever by a major leaguer in one month.

7. ROCKY COLAVITO, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .257 average, 90 runs, 42 home runs, 111 RBIs, 71 walks.
• Despite the mediocre batting average, Colavito was potent enough in the eyes of MVP voters that he finished higher than any other player not wearing a White Sox uniform (there were three of those).

8. TITO FRANCONA, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 122 games, .363 average, 20 home runs, 79 RBIs, .566 slugging percentage.
• In an out-of-body season for the guy who hit .250 over his first three major league seasons (and was the father of future manager Terry Francona), Tito could do no wrong after riding the bench for the first month-plus; the early inactivity cost him a chance at a batting title, falling 34 plate appearances short of qualifying.

9. MINNIE MINOSO, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .302 average, 92 runs, 172 hits, 32 doubles, 21 home runs, 92 RBIs, 17 hit-by-pitches.
• Minoso did all the things one easily expected of him by now…but for a guy who used to rack up the triples, it seemed odd that he didn’t collect a single one in 1959.

10. PETE RUNNELS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .314 average, 95 runs, 176 hits, 36 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 57 RBIs, 95 walks.
• Runnels was hitting as high as .356 at the end of June before a July slide punctured his chances at a batting title; he’d make good on a number of future chances, however.

NL Pitchers

1. WARREN SPAHN, MILWAUKEE

• Key Numbers: 2.96 ERA, 21 wins, 15 losses, 40 appearances, 36 starts, 21 complete games, 292 innings, 1 stolen base allowed.
• Spahn finished a decade in which he averaged 20 wins per year; he surpassed Eppa Rixey as the NL’s all-time winningest lefty.

2. SAM JONES, SAN FRANCISCO

• Key Numbers: 2.83 ERA, 21 wins, 15 losses, 4 saves, 50 appearances, 35 starts, 4 shutouts, 270.2 innings, 109 walks, 209 strikeouts.
• Mad Sam Jones? Despite a stellar year, he had to be fuming over two no-hitters stopped short of nine innings—one by a bad-hop single, the other by rain.

3. JOHNNY ANTONELLI, SAN FRANCISCO

• Key Numbers: 3.10 ERA, 19 wins, 10 losses, 38 starts, 4 shutouts, 282 innings, 23 grounded into double plays.
• The Giants’ best pitcher of the 1950s failed in his last four starts to win 20 games for the third time in the decade; he would collapse the following year at age 30, never to return to form.

4. VERN LAW, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.98 ERA, 18 wins, 9 losses, 33 starts, 20 complete games, 266 innings, 53 walks, 23 grounded into double plays.
• After seven years recording complete game numbers in the single digits, Law went the distance in a career-best 20 starts to finally attain workhorse status.

5. ROGER CRAIG, LOS ANGELES

• Key Numbers: 2.06 ERA, 11 wins, 5 losses, 29 appearances, 17 starts, 4 shutouts, 152.1 innings, 45 innings.
• The future coaching guru flourished at season’s end with a 4-0 record and 1.01 ERA over five September starts, but he finished just 3.2 innings short of qualifying for the ERA title—which he would have won running away.

6. LARRY JACKSON, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.30 ERA, 14 wins, 13 losses, 40 appearances, 37 starts, 256 innings, 22 grounded into double plays.
• Jackson emerged as the staff ace and was particularly good in daylight, posting a 2.26 ERA over 14 starts while it was at 4.00 in 23 nighttime assignments.

7. GENE CONLEY, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.00 ERA, 12 wins, 7 losses, 25 appearances, 22 starts, 180 innings, 42 walks.
• After falling off the rails (0-6, 4.88 ERA) the year before with the Braves, Conley was given a change of both scenery (Philadelphia) and scope (rotation duty) for the better.

8. LEW BURDETTE, MILWAUKEE

• Key Numbers: 4.07 ERA, 21 wins, 15 losses, 39 starts, 20 complete games, 289.2 innings, 38 walks, 28 grounded into double plays.
• There were 17 NL pitchers who had better ERAs, but no one in the league had more wins than Burdette, who racked up a personal-best total.

9. DON DRYSDALE, LOS ANGELES

• Key Numbers: 3.46 ERA, 17 wins, 13 losses, 44 appearances, 36 starts, 4 shutouts, 270.2 innings, 18 hit-by-pitches, 242 strikeouts.
• Not since Rube Benton in 1915 had any National League pitcher drilled as many opponents as Drysdale, who also copped his first of three NL strikeout titles as teammate Sandy Koufax warmed up to deprive him of more.

10. ROY FACE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.70 ERA, 18 wins, 1 loss, .947 win percentage, 10 saves, 57 appearances, 0 starts.
• The full-time reliever seemed the unlikely choice to run up a winning streak to 22—just two short of Carl Hubbell’s all-time mark. A loss at Los Angeles on September 11 ruined his shot at a perfect record; his 18 wins are the most by a pitcher who never made a single start.

AL Pitchers

1. BOB SHAW, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.69 ERA, 18 wins, 6 losses, .750 win percentage, 3 saves, 47 appearances, 26 starts, 230.2 innings, 54 walks.
• Converted into a starter midway through the season after three years spent almost exclusively in the bullpen, Shaw’s success could be tied to the influence placed upon him by veteran/roommate Early Wynn—who, among other things, taught Shaw not to use a rosin bag on a hot day because it would allow for a better grip upon the ball.

2. HOYT WILHELM, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 2.19 ERA, 15 wins, 11 losses, 32 appearances, 27 starts, 226 innings, 10 hit-by-pitches, 13 caught stealing/picked off, 27 grounded into double plays.
• In a 21-year career, the 1959 season was the knuckleballer’s only one as a full-time starter—and between the ERA title and a near-no-hitter of the Yankees in May, the question had to be asked: Why didn’t anyone give him the chance for a second year as starter?

3. CAMILO PASCUAL, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 2.64 ERA, 17 wins, 10 losses, 30 starts, 17 complete games, 6 shutouts, 238.2 innings, 3 balks, 16 stolen bases allowed.
• Entering his sixth season with a career 28-66 record, Pascual did his best to right the ship, even on a last-place team. Sidebar oddity: All three of his season-leading balks occurred in one game, on May 22 at Boston.

4. EARLY WYNN, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.17 ERA, 22 wins, 10 losses, .688 win percentage, 37 starts, 255.2 innings, 119 walks.
• Reunited with former Cleveland manager Al Lopez and owner Bill Veeck, Wynn enjoyed a remarkably resurgent campaign at age 39, winning over 20 games for the fourth (and last) time.

5. ART DITMAR, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.90 ERA, 13 wins, 9 losses, 38 appearances, 25 starts, 202 innings, 52 walks.
• Seemingly the only Yankees pitcher who didn’t walk every other batter, Ditmar graduated from the New York bullpen and emerged as one of the rotation’s more reliable arms.

6. JIM PERRY, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.65 ERA, 12 wins, 10 losses, 4 saves, 44 appearances, 13 starts, 153 innings, 13 caught stealing/picked off.
• Lost in the coming firestorm over Rocky Colavito’s imminent departure from Cleveland was the arrival of Perry, the Indians’ next best thing on the mound.

7. WHITEY FORD, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.04 ERA, 16 wins, 10 losses, 35 appearances, 29 starts, 204 innings, 89 walks, 0 stolen bases allowed, 27 grounded into double plays.
• After a 105-40 record through his first seven seasons, Ford ‘suffered’ through the first 10-loss campaign of his career; he’d suffer only one more, in 1965.

8. MILT PAPPAS, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 3.27 ERA, 15 wins, 9 losses, 3 saves, 33 appearances, 27 starts, 209.1 innings, 14 wild pitches.
• After an awful first two months—6.59 ERA, despite a 4-2 record—the barely-20-year old got it together and solidified into the pitcher the Orioles were hoping for.

9. DON MOSSI, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 3.36 ERA, 17 wins, 9 losses, 34 appearances, 30 starts, 228 innings, 49 walks.
• In what’s a familiar theme on this particular list, Mossi escaped the bullpen and found success as a full-time starter after a trade to the Tigers that sent Billy Martin and Al Cicotte—the great-nephew of Black Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte—to Cleveland.

10. JERRY WALKER, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 2.92 ERA, 11 wins, 10 losses, 4 saves, 30 appearances, 22 starts, 182 innings, 9 intentional walks.
• One of the least recalled of the Orioles’ otherwise well-recalled “Kiddie Korps” rotation, Walker enjoyed his one year in the Baltimore sun before an accelerated rate of diminishing returns took over.

[luckymann]

Great to see that the Dodgers just couldn’t live without Jackie and he’ll now almost certainly finish up as a one-club player. Not so for Newk, Nellie, Teddy or Duke though, I’m afraid, as all four end up at new clubs in a busy old offseason indeed that sees the Cubbies make a serious push.

Here are the major moves and signings:

• P Curt Simmons: Cubs, 7 years / $854000
• P Duke Snider: Giants, 5 years / $530000
• P Gene Conley: Red Sox, 5 years / $492000
• 2B Nellie Fox: Cardinals, 5 years / $441000
• 3B Frank Thomas: White Sox, 3 years / $342000
• OF Ted Williams: Cubs, 3 years / $290000
• P Early Wynn: Braves, 3 years / $277000
• SS Larry Doby: Yankees, 3 years / $273000
• 1B Earl Torgeson: Indians, 3 years / $262000
• P Joe Nuxhall: Red Sox, 3 years / $252000
• OF Bill Howerton: Phillies, 3 years / $246000
• P Jack Harshman: Cardinals, 3 years / $230000
• 3B Jackie Robinson: Dodgers, 2 years / $224000 (extension)
• P Billy Hoeft: White Sox, 3 years / $159000
• 1B Ed Bouchee: Athletics, 5 years / $148000 (extension)
• C Ed Bailey: Redlegs, 5 years / $142800 (extension)
• P Roger Craig: Tigers, 5 years / $139400 (extension)

• OF Bubba Phillips from Phillies to Cardinals for SS Eddie Kasko
• P Don Lee from Red Sox to Cubs for OF Dick Kokos
• P Jay Hook from Dodgers to Phillies for C Gus Triandos
• P Don Newcombe and P Claude Osteen from Dodgers to Phillies for 2B Jerry Lumpe and OF Marty Keough
• P George Brunet and P Tom Cheney from Cardinals to Senators for P Karl Spooner
• SS Eddie Bressoud from Cubs to Cardinals for 3B Frank Malzone
• 2B Bobby Richardson from White Sox to Indians for 2B Bobby Avila
• P Willard Nixon from Dodgers to Red Sox for P Jerry Walker
• P Bobby Shantz and OF George Alusik from Athletics to Cubs for SS Joe Koppe
• 3B Ray Jablonski C Dick Brown from Redlegs to Athletics for OF Willie Kirkland
• P Gordon Jones and P Claude Osteen from Phillies to White Sox for 2B Lou Klimchock

We finish ST an injury-free 10-8.

ALL TRANSACTIONS


A couple tight pennant races in store if the BNN crew are right.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Our team page can be accessed HERE.

This has been a nice and totally unexpected run of wins for our club. Can we squeeze one more drop out of the lemon? Doubt this group at one's own peril, that's all I know.

I've decided, at least to begin with, to keep Felipe Alou at AAA. Lemon gets the starting nod at 1B but will be subbed late in close lead games. We're going to mix things up a bit with John Roseboro moved up to the leadoff spot. As at OD, Ray Moore will hold down the SP5 slot.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

Troubles abound as we lose our best hitter and then our best pitcher - each for a month or so - toward the end of the sectional. It would appear our depth is just about to be tested.




Even before the injuries, it feels like we're swimming upstream in a pool of quicksand. But, as they almost always do, the lads just chug along and by the end of May we are sitting at 29-22 and just a half-game off the lead in an incredibly bunched field.




Even though Maris is blossoming into the power hitter we know he is with 11 HR to his credit already, we are still struggling to score consistently. Slow starts from most of the group don't help one bit, but we do look on the way up in this regard. Alou, after finally getting the call-up when Arriba goes down, is still searching for his first big-league hit.




Not quite the ironclad BP of the past few seasons but, still, we're toward the top in almost every pitching stat cat once again. Jackson has taken another big stride forward and Friend continues to head in the right direction. Podres, however, has struggled to rediscover his form after the long injury layoff, and hopefully he can do so soon - especially now with Patata out of action.




The Red Sox - led by Jackie Jensen, who seems to be enjoying top dog status with Teddy gone - are dominating the AL again and already look like they'll take some catching. The Yankees, despite Mantle's continued push toward immortality, sit at 18-27 - the worst record in all MLB. As I said, the NL is particularly tight and looks wide open this year.


Monthly Award Winners

April

American League

• Batter – Rocky Colavito (Athletics): 333 / 6 HR / 18 RBI
• Pitcher – Joe Nuxhall (Red Sox): 3-0 / 2.70 / 17 K / 30 IP
• Rookie – Bobby Locke (Orioles): 3-0 / 0.00 / 6 K / 7.2 IP

National League

• Batter – Eddie Mathews (Braves): 308 / 6 HR / 20 RBI
• Pitcher – Sandy Koufax (Dodgers): 3-1 / 1.48 / 37 K / 30.1 IP
• Rookie – Jim Perry (Redlegs): 2-1 / 2.35 / 10 K / 30.2 IP

May

American League

• Batter – Jackie Jensen (Red Sox): 381 / 9 HR / 37 RBI
• Pitcher – Frank Sullivan (Red Sox): 5-1 / 2.47 / 29 K / 51 IP
• Rookie – John Buzhardt (Senators): 3-2 / 3.53 / 15 K / 43.1 IP

National League

• Batter – Joe Adcock (Braves): 358 / 10 HR / 31 RBI
• Pitcher – Bob Turley (Giants): 6-0 / 3.71 / 29 K / 43.2 IP
• Rookie – Bob Gibson (Cardinals): 3-1 / 2.64 / 26 K / 47.2 IP

News and Leaders






Milestones and Observations of Note

• The Braves lose pitcher Jimmy Ochoa for 4 months or so with a torn labrum, while Cleveland 3B Rene Bertoia has his season derailed by a fractured knee.

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Most Pitching Wins for a Losing Team

[luckymann]

We are, it is fair to say, falling like ninepins...

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

A real shame this, as Jackie Jensen sure has been revelling in his first season out of Ted Williams' big shadow and was on track for a fantastic year.

[luckymann]

The season's first no-hitter by Ike DeLock of the Giants against the Dodgers.

[luckymann]

Six Bucs - five of them pitchers, including the injured Camilo Pascual - get a gong this time around.




Orlando Cepeda wins the HR Derby, while Rocky Colavito powers the AL to an 8-5 ASG win.

[luckymann]

The great man Ernie Banks puts four in the seats against LA - amazingly, the first time in the 58+ seasons of this league's history the feat has been achieved.

[Brad K]

Concerning highest paid, are Nuxhall and Thomas having better than historical careers?

Was batting Clemente second your idea or the AI manager's idea? I think its a good spot for him in that lineup.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Concerning highest paid, are Nuxhall and Thomas having better than historical careers?

Was batting Clemente second your idea or the AI manager's idea? I think its a good spot for him in that lineup.

Nuxhall

Joe's a tough one because he had that cuppa aged 16 then didn't make it back for 8 years. But of course that cannot be replicated here. So instead he's just a really crappy version of himself until he finally hits his stride in '54 or so.

He should match his IRL career WAR of 38 (as calculated in-game) no problems - I'd even think he gets up to the 50s by the end with 3-year recalc in play.

Frankie T

Frankie started with a huge bang - 4.8 bWAR rookie season - but has been merely serviceable since then. Should match his HR and WAR totals with plenty to spare with the recalc smoothing his rather untidy IRL dismount somewhat.

I do all our strategy - at both the team and player level - as well as lineups and staff usage. Pretty thorough with it, too, as you'd expect from the control freak I am...

[Brad K]

They both seem overpaid to me although Frank Thomas is only 1.1 under his career historical WAR with most of a decade to go.

Nuxhall, I have a hard time computing in my mind a guy having 20 WAR with a 4.12 ERA.